Star Wars Soundtracks

In my listening throughout the years, several songs have stuck in my head as good Star Wars songs. Considering just how geeky this blog is already, I don't have any qualms in pointing one out here. And before you ask, yes, I am a child of the 80's so sue me. Anyway, check the lyrics on this and tell me it isn't an appropriate Rebel Alliance theme song:

Verse:

This bloody road remains a mystery, 

this sudden darkness fills the air.

What're we waitin' for?

Won't anybody help us,

what're we waitin' for?

Chorus:

We can't afford to be innocent,

stand up and face the enemy.

It's a do or die situation,

we will be invincible.

Verse:

This shattered dream you cannot justify.

We're gonna scream until we're satisfied.

What're we runnin' for?

We've got the right to be angry.

What're we runnin' for,

when there's nowhere we can run to anymore.

(Chorus)

Verse:

And with the power of conviction,

there is no sacrifice.

It's a do or die situation,

we will be invincible.

Solo:

Won't anybody help us, 

what're we runnin' for?

When there's nowhere,

nowhere we can run to anymore

(Chorus)

Verse:

And with the power of conviction,

there is no sacrifice.

It's a do or die situation,

we will be invincible.

(Chorus repeats out)

p.s. Yes, its a Pat Benatar song. 

p.p.s. No, I don't think 'Love is a Battlefield' works as a Star Wars song.

Review: Scavenger Hunt

>>> SPOILERS FOLLOW <<<

Another of the early adventure modules of the game, Scavenger Hunt didn't make my 'Top Ten' list, but that doesn't mean I disliked it. In fact, it is one of the more unique adventures in the game—geared towards humor as well as action. I remember it being a nice change of pace from the other more serious adventures and it introduced several very memorable characters.

The plot of Scavenger Hunt revolves around the Player Character's party trying to track down an Imperial transport (aptly named the 'Elusive') that just happens to have a captured Alliance data core onboard that could expose hundreds of undercover agents. Of course, finding the Elusive isn't going to be easy. In following the trail of the Imperials, the characters become involved in a war (of sorts) between two junk collecting alien species—the Squib (a race of diminutive, blue-furred squirrel-like critters who love to bargain) and the U-Gor (a race of tentacular blobs who talk like Henry Kissenger and worship garbage).  The search ultimately takes the characters to a gigantic space junkyard, in which is found a particularly interesting piece of garbage...

As I mentioned before, this adventure was clearly written for laughs. Oh, there is a serious mission behind it all, and a variety of different space and face-to-face battles, but the scenes in between and the supporting characters are all very silly. The hyperactive and non-sensical bargaining sessions with the Squib were memorable roleplay experiences for me. The players I ran through this were quite perplexed as they tried to hammer down the details of a bargain, only to find the Squibs adding on yet another layer of complexity (see, to the Squibs, a the more complex the bargain, the better). I especially loved the whole bit about the Squibs trying to unload an annoying chef-droid (L9-G8) by working him into the deal. L9 soon became an amusing addition to the Vermillion gang's ever growing ship droid population.

The U-Gor likewise were great—with their ponderous accents and religious zealotry. The 'war' between them and the Squib was portrayed humorously—with the U-Gor's salvaged and mismatched weaponry being very flashy but incredibly inaccurate. There was another villain in the plot as well, Teehl, a henchwoman of Jabba. But honestly, that whole sub-plot just seemed tacked on—i.e. there wasn't much development of Teehl as a villain, she just appears at one point.

One of the best parts of this adventure (and this is the Spoiler) was the inclusion of a big chunk of the Death Star in the center of the massive space junkyard. In fact, the players may not even realize what this wreckage is, even as they have to board and search it for a particular piece of technology. There is a scene within where they can find Darth Vader's personal chamber and maybe get a bit scared by one of his uninhabited helmets and cloaks. There is another scene where they have to make their way through one of the station's trash compactors—and yes, it just does happen to be inhabited by a very hungry dionaga. The whole set up was a nice way to tie the adventure in to the whole movie mythos—again letting the players run around in its 'back yard' for a bit.

Scavenger Hunt does fall short in a couple areas, however. It can be rather 'railroady' in that the adventure seems to take for granted that the players will react in specific ways, and if they veer from this course, then they're likely to wander right out of the plot. There is a bit of a plot-hole as well—namely the assertion that the Squib have one of their number hiding out on just about every Imperial ship in the fleet (including the Elusive), monitoring where they dump garbage and relaying that back to the Squib scavenger fleet. This just seems awfully far fetched—especially since the Elusive is supposed to be a relatively small transport. This whole point was introduced so that the PCs would be forced to negotiate with the Squib in order to find the Elusive. A better solution would be simply for the Squib to have intimate knowledge of shipping lanes in the sector. Instead of having a Squib spy pinpointing the location of the Elusive, the diminutive aliens could simply provide the PCs with the most likely routes with which to intercept the Imperial ship.

With this minor modification to the plot, and some advance planning of ways to keep the players from wandering outside of it (without simply forcing them to stay on the tracks) I feel that Scavenger Hunt is a great change of pace from your typical serious Star Wars adventure—wacky and a bit slapstick, but with enough action to keep things moving.

Co-Existing With Feature Characters

I know I've mentioned it before somewhere, but the issue of Feature Characters (FCs) in a campaign is something that seems to demand closer inspection. For the uninitiated, Feature Characters are Non-Player Characters who are considered great heroes in a game setting. In Star Wars, these would be Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, etc.. In any game system, I believe that the player characters should be the focus of the story. There is some basis, therefore, in the argument that including Feature Characters takes the spotlight off of the Player Characters (PCs). Used in the wrong way, FCs can do exactly this. But used correctly, they can have the opposite effect of having the players begin to feel that they are operating 'on the same plane' with these epic heroes—and that is something that I ultimately encourage in my games.

What I consider the 'right way' of using FCs consists of several maxims which I will explore below:

1) Introduce Feature Characters Subtly

Try not to make a big deal out of a FC's appearance. Try not to do stuff like: "This week's adventure features Luke Skywalker!" PCs shouldn't really know about it until its all the sudden "Oh, hey Luke." They should fall into the 'surprise guest star' role. A great example of this (and of many of these maxims) is found in the Minos Cluster campaign (presented in Galaxy Guide 6: Tramp Freighters). In one series of adventures, the PCs are told they will be meeting and escorting an Alliance diplomat around the cluster. They will likely be surprised to discover this 'diplomat' is none-other than Princess Leia.

2) Use Feature Characters Sparingly

It's okay to have a FC team up with the PCs for a particular mission. But familiarity breeds contempt—i.e. the PCs will likely not continue to be impressed if Luke is teaming up with them every other mission. Also, this is the biggest danger-point for FCs overshadowing the PCs. Han Solo is bogus. And if he's in every mission, then its going to leave the PCs with very little to do. Again, the Minos Cluster campaign is a good example of this: Leia teams up with the characters for this one mission, then goes on her way. It provides a good basis for interaction in the future (i.e. she knows the characters by name) but nobody overstays their welcome.

3) Establish Personal Relationships

Try to provide 'moments' of interaction between FCs and PCs—these should be social, conversational, humorous or serious, just anything that doesn't particularly relate to the mission at hand. It helps to lend depth to the FC in question as well as providing a personal link between PC and FC other than "we just happen to be on the same mission." I never did this enough in my original Vermillion campaign. And looking back on it, I regret that and hope to make amends in the future. In my campaign with Adren, however, I used this extensively. She got a chance to hang out with various Feature Characters, and in the end, she became great friends with several (and enemies with a few, too).

4) Let the Player Characters Take the Lead

Those (hopefully rare and memorable) times when PCs and FCs work together, make sure you give the PCs their own moments to shine. In no way should they be forced to take the back seat while Luke displays his lightsaber prowess or Han takes out all the TIE fighters single-handedly. Again, going back to the Minos campaign, Princess Leia is doing diplomatic work while the players are responsible for her security. This is a pretty important task, considering who Leia is. Depending how the adventure goes, the PCs even get a chance to join the 'I rescued Princess Leia' club. Accomplishing something like this—bailing out a powerful FC—should make the PCs proud.

Star Wars Romance

Star Wars would not be Star Wars without the romance sub-plots woven throughout the series. Whether it's Han and Leia's turbulent and unlikely relationship or the secret (and increasingly obsessive) love affair between Anakin and Padme, romance forms a cornerstone of the saga. It is also something that I think should be a part of any good Star Wars campaign.

Often, in RPGs, 'romance' is simply relegated to "Okay, roll your [Seduction/Charisma/Persuasion/Whatever] to see if you bed the local barmaid." That's not the kind of Romance I'm talking about. Rather, I believe that a game master should (if his players are interested/willing) try to shape a complex relationship between player characters and non-player characters. Just as it forms a basis for the movies, it can form a basis for a campaign—giving characters a deeper connection to the world around them. Its just another way you can make a character more than just a collection of stats, skills and equipment.

I should reiterate that this only works in campaigns where the players are interested in this kind of roleplay. Not everyone is. Thankfully, the players I usually game with are, and there have been numerous examples of romance in my campaigns. Not being a deviant freak, I do not attempt to actually  'play out' these romances, scene-for-scene. I favor a more subtle and even a bit vague approach—letting the player fill in the details of their character's relationship with an interested NPC. As a GM, it is basically my job to ensure that characters and their love interests can occasionally 'touch base' in a story line—give them a way and an excuse to interact. This can be anything from having the NPC accompany a group on a mission to a simple encounter at a bar or some social function. From there, I leave it to the player to figure out how they will develop the romance—how far it will go, how deep the emotions are, all of that.

As I said, there have been several romances across the expanse of my main Star Wars campaign. The first of these to develop was between Rick Oman and the bounty huntress, Zardra. In a way, it was kind of the testing ground on how I could handle romance in a RPG. It began simply enough, with Oman first encountering Zardra during the Otherspace adventure. She expressed some interest after that, but they parted ways before anything further could develop. As I recall, Zardra turned up a few times thereafter, but never for very long. And then she hired on as part of a hunter team, trying to capture the party. Her job was to seduce Oman and trick him into leading the party into an ambush. Oman was seduced, but still skeptical of the meeting. He went anyway, along with the rest of the party. They got betrayed big time (wound up crashing on the 'Domain of Evil' planet). This encounter, and the danger Zardra had put Oman in really made her consider her actions and motivations. When they met again, Zardra finally had to admit her love, and had to turn over a new leaf. Considering who she was, that didn't really mean she was 'good', it just meant she was 'less bad'.

Things developed from there. Zardra floated in and out of the campaign, occasionally teaming up with Oman for a mission or two before going her own way again (settling old scores, trying to come to grips with her new life). One memorable mission found the two of them hitching a ride on the conning tower of a Star Destroyer (a-la Han's trick in Empire Strikes Back). This is also the mission where their child was conceived—though Oman didn't discover this until much later, when Zardra was gravely injured during an attack on the party. The doctor treating her assured Oman that Zardra "and the baby" would recover. And Oman's response was "Wait...Baby!?" Eventually, they would get married and 'grow up' to be Mandalore and.. Ms. Mandalore and raise their family (a girl destined to be a badass warrior). As you can see, all this shared history with an NPC has given Oman a heck of a lot of backstory and depth. Its also given him a lot of motivation and concern, as he now has to consider his family when making decisions. All of this was fun to play and great to think back upon.

But Oman's wasn't the only Romance to happen in the game. Arianne became involved with a fellow Rebel (and later NRI) agent, Tiree. Again, they bumped into eachother on and between several missions (he rescued her and her team in 'The Isis Coordinates' while she returned the favor in 'Game Chambers of Questal'). Again, the relationship ultimately evolved into marriage and a child and again, a very solid grounding for Arianne in responsibility. (Silly players, how easily they take on the 'Dependent' disadvantage! hah!)

Bob the Tusken was an unlikely candidate for romance, it seemed. The mystic warrior-shaman was always the 'odd man out' socially, and the customs of his tribe ensured that he was really a very private person. Still, he is a very noble and wise character (most of the time), and it was these things that drew romance his way—quite unexpectedly. During my homebrew final chapter of the Otherspace adventure saga, Bob encountered a young force-adept, Tishana. She was struggling to come to terms with the fact that her master was falling to the dark side. In Bob she saw the nobility she longed for in her own master and more than that. She didn't need to see what Bob looked like, she could sense in him the qualities she admired and aspired to. Tishana fought alongside Bob in that adventure, then travelled with him, back to the Star Wars galaxy where she was adopted into Bob's tribe—I assume as his wife, though I can't remember the precise details.

Adrienne Olin had a romance tinged with tragedy. While working as an on-again, off-again 'official' agent of the Rebel Alliance (and later New Republic) she fell in love with and eventually married a Rebel (and then Republic) scout by the name of Sebastian Kalidor. Their relationship had its ups and downs over the years—as Adren had some (looking back on it) exceedingly vicious enemies and a run of rather traumatic experiences. And yet, despite the fact they were often on opposite sides of the galaxy, the romance endured—that is until Sebastian's untimely death during the initial wave of the Nagai invasion, helping to save Chancellor Organa-Solo and other Republic officials from a bomb. Since then, Adren has thrown herself into her work, slowly coming to grips with her loss.

Party-guy Harry Hugganut (much to my surprise) sought out his own long-term relationship with a (slightly) older woman. Kel was a wealthy businesswoman by day and a rebel gunrunner by night. It is in the latter role that Hugganut first met her. She worked with the group on several occasions (supplying guns) and after Harry went into semi-retirement, the two of them pooled their resources to establish their own private resort-world. As a married couple, the two of them now run this resort together (with Harry still occasionally taking on work with New Republic Intelligence). 

And finally, Horatio S. Flynn. This Space Pirate fancies himself a true ladies man. And truth be told? He is. Or was. Or..maybe he still is? Its difficult to say. As mentioned in previous posts, Horatio started a romance with Arianne's adopted ward, Reen. At first, it was just a 'lark'—it would annoy Arianne, and it was fun, too. But in the depths of the Nagai war, things tend to get a bit more serious. Reen seems to have very deep feelings for Horatio, and seems to trust the fact that Horatio returns those feelings. Arianne is skeptical, keeping a watchful eye over the two. In fact, Horatio has no doubt had to endure 'the talk' from both Arianne (Reen's former guardian and big-sister figure) and Bob (Reen's force-mentor and uncle-figure). In our latest gameplay, Reen was grievously injured in the battle of Arkania, losing one of her legs at the knee. Horatio was concerned, of course, but it remains to be seen just where their relationship will go from here...

Wow. So looking back on all of that, I think I've made my point. Almost all this 'Romance' stuff was in addition to the other adventures I ran. It added depth to them, it helped bridge them, link them together. It gave the characters greater stake in what they were doing. And most of all, it was fun. Of course, all of this got me thinking about PC/NPC relationships in general (not just of the Romantic variety) and I think I may do a posting on that later.

Oh, p.s. I'm not sure if this counts as Romance, but I seem to recall Marko Razmusen, after the victory celebration on Endor, waking up in the 'unwed females' hut of the Ewok village. Yeah. I think this is one of those instances of 'don't ask, don't tell.'

Best and Worst Star Wars Races

Since I am both a slave to trends and a late adopter of trends, I will now put forth my own 'best and worst' lists as I have seen done on several other blogs that I peruse. Here then are my most and least favorite alien races and some short reasons why I categorize them as I do:

MY FAVORITE STAR WARS RACES 

10. Humans

What can I say. Humans rock. They make up a large percentage of the galactic population and (in game terms at least) they don't have any bogus racial abilities. They're just adaptable. Racial prejudice you say? I won't deny it. 

9. Mantellian Savrip

You have to be a really big geek like I am to even know what this is. Remember in the holo-chess game (actually called dejarik—wow, am I a geek) Artoo and Chewie were playing? Remember the critter that picks the other one up and body-slams it, then flexes and lets out a tiny-little roar of victory? That's a Mantellian Savrip. Awwww, who's a fierce little Savrip!? You are! raaor!

8. Bothans

The race you love to hate. Even though I really dislike most of the artwork showing Bothans (I always pictured them more 'fox like' than 'dog like') the concept is still solid. They're a good 'villain' race, even if they are supposed to be on the good guy's side.

7. Hiromi

A little known species introduced in the Marvel Star Wars comics. Picture a race of cockroach-like guys who are incredibly inept, but who dream of galactic domination through incredibly complex behind the scene schemes. They provide some fun comic relief in the comics and I certainly think the Star Wars universe is big enough to include their brand of humor.

6. Zeltrons

Another Marvel comic invention. Picture a race of magenta-skinned near-humans with over-active libidos and a very liberal society. Now picture the hot females of this species. Yes, I was a teenager when these comics came out. Yes, that could explain my like of them.

5. Ithorians

Yeah, I know, the good old hammerheads never had a big part in any of the movies, but I have always loved the look of the race—one of the more unique alien species. Plus the character of Momaw Nadon (introduced in the RPG) was very cool.

4. Squib

Blue space squirrels who collect junk and base their entire culture around bargaining—the more complex (and non-sensical) the terms of the deal, the better. Yeah, I'm against 'cute and fuzzy' races in general, but the Squibs put an obnoxious and frenetic twist on the typical fuzzy that I can respect.

3. Tusken Raiders

As presented in the movies, there isn't a whole lot to love. But the culture that grew around them in my mind (and through various RPG sources) took in a more 'noble savage' feel than bloodthirsty brute. They were a nice touch to the 'Wild West' feel of Tatooine—he 'Indians' to the spacer 'cowboys' and moisture farming 'settlers'. I think the character of Bob the Tusken from my campaign really helped make me like this race.

2. Yuzzem

Introduced in the novel Splinter of the Minds Eye, the Yuzzem characters (Hin and Kee) were essentially stand-ins for Chewbacca—though they proved to be much more than just that. They were gleefully barbaric warriors, much moreso than Chewbacca, who only play-acted at being a 'brute'. They were fun and terrible all at the same time, and when they died at the end of the Novel, I distinctly remember feeling their loss. For the first time it made me really HATE Darth Vader.

1. Wookiees

Chewbacca. They're just cool. Live with it. Aaaarooo.

MY LEAST FAVORITE STAR WARS RACES

10. Defel

Popularized by Zahn in the Heir to the Empire trilogy. Way too 'powergamer' a race. They were tough, nigh-invisible, scary-looking, strong, yada yada yada. Every twink wants to play one of these.

9. Tof

Introduced in the Marvel comics, they were supposed to be the great intergalactic threat capable of conquering all of the Galaxy. Unfortunately, they were a bunch of fat green guys who dressed like the three musketeers and flew around in giant space-galleons. I kid you not. Wow. What a let down.

8. Lepi

Humanoid, green rabbit-men. Another Marvel comic invention. Ugh. What is it with them and green?

7. Cathar

I say Cathar, but I really mean almost all cat-like humanoid races. I like cats, but I think the people who are into these cat-humanoids REALLY like their cats...if you catch my drift. Plus, the Cathar in the Knights of the Old Republic game had an annoying accent. 

6. Chiss

Another twink race. Admiral Thrawn was a Chiss. Blue Skin. Red Eyes. Creepy, yes. But come on, the entire race can't be as cool or talented as that one admiral or they would have overrun the galaxy by now.

5. Ewok

Killer teddy bears. Even at 12 years old I was a bit skeptical of the Ewoks and their prowess versus the Empire. I really don't HATE them, but I don't like them much either. Played too heavily on the cute factor and not enough on the rabid little knee-biter aspect.

4. Kushiban

Even cuter than the Ewoks. Tiny, fluffy, force-sensitive bunnies! *barf*

3. Noghri

The ultimate twink race, so chock-full of bogus special abilities as to make them any game-master's bane. Plus, I still find it difficult to believe that in the 15 or so years the Noghri Death Commandos had been operating, not one of them had ever been seen before.

2. Ssi-Ruuk

I get the feeling that the popularity of 'Jurassic Park' had a lot to do with the creation of an entire race of Velociraptors. And that's about all they've got going for them.

1. Dathomiran Rancor

The Rancor as a monster? That I'm fine with. The Rancor as a semi-intelligent mount for amazon-force-witches? Wow. Twink. Go figure it is yet another horrible thing introduced in the 'Courtship of Princess Leia' novel.

(DIS)HONORABLE MENTIONS

Twi'lek

As a guy, I can appreciate the appeal of hot green-, blue-, red-, orange-, whatevercolored-skinned chicks. Like Captain Kirk, I think they're nice. The head tentacle thing? Well. It is actually kind of creepy, in a japanimation kind of way. Thus, I have mixed emotions on the Twi'lek.

Gungan

As much as the recent Clone Wars cartoons have caused me to hate Jar Jar Binks, I can't, in good conscience, condemn the entire race on the basis of one idiot. In fact, the Gungans in the movie were pretty brave and selfless, so meesa thinkin' you gotta give them credit for that.

RANT: Clone Heroes

I realize that everyone involved is just trying to make a buck, and that IS what capitalism is all about, but is it just me? or is there something wrong with seemingly wanting children to idolize clones? I mean, first of all, there are the cartoons. And then the toy lines, with their action figures for kids of all ages. And then there are the helmets and costumes. 

Yay kids! You too can be a nameless conformist who never questions what his government tells him to do! Yes, that's right! Be just like everyone else and do what you're told, even if that winds up making you the villain!

I'm not sure how it was for everyone else, but when I was growing up, my Star Wars heroes were Luke and Han. THOSE were the guys everyone wanted to be on the playground. I don't recall anyone chiming. "OOH! I want to be TK-421!

And before anyone goes there, no, I don't have any problem with soldiers or the military. In fact I have a few good friends who are or were in the military, as well as numerous family members. I have nothing but respect for those who serve this country. But its one thing to be a soldier and a hero. Its another to be a clone-trooper and a hero. 

Simply put: I don't think Clone troopers should be heroes. At least, not the conformist ones who wound up backing a totalitarian regime. Wow, its kind of come full circle. The original Star Wars movies were all about showing how bad dictatorships (and nazis) are.. and now we're encouraging our kids to be good little stormtroopers? Nope.. something just aint right.

Star Frontiers

Star Frontiers was a science fiction roleplaying game system produced by TSR in 1982. Being a big Star Wars fan, I jumped at the chance for a game about space-ships and laser guns. At the time, I had heard of other sci-fi systems (such as Traveller), but they weren't easily available in the middle of South Dakota. 

Star Frontiers wasn't quite what I was expecting from a sci-fi system. I was expecting more space-opera, but what I got was a bit more hard-science than that (though clearly not as 'hard' as Traveller). After I got over the initial shock of this, though, I grew to really enjoy the game and admire it for what it was. The setting was interesting—a small but expanding core of civilized systems threatened by a mysterious and implacable alien menace. The races were quite memorable as well—your typical humans were joined by the insectoid Vrusk, blob-like Dralasites, gliding-monkey-man Yazirians and worm like Sathar (the villains). I also enjoyed the skill-based rule system—a major departure from the classes of more traditional systems like D&D. As I mentioned in my gaming history the Star Frontiers universe was the setting for my first 'real' game, and as such, it will always hold a special place in my heart. The adventures of Jake Logan and the crew of the Gullwind were a blast.

Now, you may be asking what this has to do with Star Wars? Well, I'll tell you—with a little modification, the Star Frontiers setting and all its supporting information and adventure modules makes a great supplement to the Star Wars universe. I've used several Star Frontiers adventures in my various Star Wars campaigns and they've worked well. Its just another example of the inclusiveness of the setting.

The rest of this post will focus on how I have adapted (or would adapt) Star Frontiers to the Star Wars setting:

OVERALL

If you wanted to include the Frontier in its entirety, you could translate it easily as a remote sector in the outer-rim. Even during the time of the Empire, the place could still be run by a planetary federation—only one that ultimately plays homage to the Emperor. Being so isolated (and initially free of Rebel influences) the Empire would have no reason to station troops there, and would probably let the local 'Starfleet' maintain order. Likewise, the threat of the alien Sathar attacking could still be in place, with the Frontier sector being left to defend itself in the face of an Empire concerned with 'more important' battles. Still, in the end, it could be fun to bring the Rebellion and Empire into the sector, to throw the whole setting on its ear. The Federation would ultimately have to make a choice—to stand with the Rebellion or cow-tow to the Empire.

VOLTURNUS SAGA

This was a three-module campaign that saw the characters as explorers, crash-landing on a planet inhabited by various sentient species, dangerous beasts and a vicious gang of space-pirates. It is a truly epic adventure that culminates in the characters raising an army of natives in order to defend the planet versus an all-out Sathar attack. Conversion wise, all you have to do is make up stats for the alien critters and races and boom, you've got one heck of an exploration/survival adventure—in or out of the Frontier setting. The characters could be independent or corporate scouts, or working for the Rebellion in trying to find a new safe-world.

SUNDOWN ON STARMIST

In this adventure, the characters are hired by a freighter captain to explore and set up trade with a primitive native race (as well as to investigate the presence of high-tech artifacts found among this race). Unfortunately, the Sathar have set up a secret terrorist training-camp/genetic test center on the planet. This adventure would work well in a tramp-freighter campaign or again you could have the Rebel Alliance send the characters to investigate. If you really wanted to switch things up, the Sathar camp could be converted to a secret Imperial base.

MISSION TO ALCAZZAR

This was one of my favorite Star Frontiers adventures—both  because of its cool cover-art and its combat-oriented plot. The characters are sent to investigate why contact was lost with a remote mining facility. They arrive to find it has been destroyed by a rival mining company. The players then exact their revenge by launching an all out assault on the bad guy's base—perhaps enlisting the aid of a primitive local tribe along he way. Conversion wise, the characters could either be corporate mercenaries (as in the original adventure) or they could be Rebels doing a favor for a corporation sympathetic to their cause. 

BUGS IN THE SYSTEM

This is probably one of the more complicated modules to convert. Its premise has the characters having a layover in a remote system. The administrator of the local gas-mining operation hires them to investigate a disaster in one of their facilities. That investigation turns deadly as the characters discover a mysterious force that begins to kill the mining crew, one by one. This is one of those adventures that would work best as a 'random' insertion into a campaign, whenever the characters (rebel, independent or whatever) are stopping off in a remote system. Where the compications set in, however are in some of the details—namely the low-tech nature of the mining outpost (it rotates at the end of a tether to generate artificial gravity) and its computer systems (some plot points can revolve around the routing of the various computer systems, but by modern terms, let alone Star Wars terms, they are very crude). 

DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

No, it has nothing to do with Pink Floyd (thank god). This is actually one of the better Star Frontiers adventures, revolving around the death of Dr. Legrange, a 'human rights activist' (aka anti-alien bigot) and the turmoil it causes on his bi-racial home planet of Krataar. The characters begin as escorts to a news reporter, but are rapidly swept up in the investigation of the doctor's death. Before long, they discover the sinister secret behind it all and the race is on to prevent a disaster of world-ending proportions. This adventure works well in the New Republic era, where the players are Intel agents posing as reporters to investigate the activist. With some finagling, it could be modified to fit a Rebel team as well (perhaps they're trying to assist a rebel sympathetic cell on the planet). The adventure is especially ingenious by providing a good deal of information that the characters can unearth in their investigations. However, for less astute groups, you may have to 'lead' them a bit. And finally, the name 'Trojan Enterprises' (one of the companies involved in the mystery) just has to go, unless you like innuendo jokes.

WARRIORS OF THE WHITE LIGHT

This is actually a mini-campaign wherein the characters enlist in the planetary militia (Royal Marines) of the planet Clarion (aka White Light). It progresses through a series of 'routine' patrols: smuggling ships, droid-inhabited 'ghost-ships', pirate attacks and the like; it finally culminates with a showdown versus a traitor in the midst of the Marines and an all-out attack by the Sathar on Clarion itself. This is one of the more difficult adventures to integrate into a Star Wars campaign, since it involves joining a military other than the Rebellion or Republic. Still, it might work as the beginning to a campaign, the background story of one or a couple characters in their youth, before going on to a career as tramp freighters or rebels.

DRAMUNE RUN

Of all the Star Frontiers modules, this one comes the closest in feel to a Star Wars Adventure. Signing on as crew with an old tramp freighter captain, the characters find themselves fleeing from minions of the foul crime-lord known as 'The Malthar'. Seems this Jabba-esque Dralasite doesn't want the characters to talk to the authorities about the evidence suddenly in their possession—the shocking truth about the 'secret ingredient' in a new and popular illegal drug. The adventure moves from bar-room brawls, to zero-gee shootouts, to starship battles and ultimately to the very lair of the Malthar himself. This is a great adventure to use if you want to find an in-character way for a party to acquire their own starship. If they already have one, the plot can be easily modified—the old captain can book passage onboard their ship instead of hiring the party as crew for his own.

BEYOND THE FRONTIER SAGA

This is another series of three modules dealing with exploration of systems beyond the charted space of the Frontier (hence the title). In the first module, the characters are part of an exploration crew that suddenly finds themselves stranded when one of their crew-mates seemingly goes berserk. The rest of the module has them struggling through the wilderness to reach and re-take their ship from the mutineer. The second module picks up with a relief vessel arriving to assist the team—only to discover a crashed Sathar ship on the planet. Clues from this eventually lead to another starsystem where the party leads an attack on a Sathar spy-ship. The mystery only deepens in the final chapter when the Sathar trail finally leads to a secret Sathar shipyard and an enslaved race of humanoids forced to work for the hideous worms. All of this leads up to a final, desperate battle to save the entire system. Very little is necessary to translate this adventure. You could even switch out the Sathar for Imperials or pirates or even a corrupt corporation without too much trouble. The characters could be explorers or rebel agents or even mercs.

IN CLOSING

In any case, I think you can see from the ideas above that Star Frontiers can live on in the Star Wars setting. If you're looking for these adventures, you can still find a few on ebay now and then, but there are also a couple websites that have them in digital format. You can find them here and here.